


But We Feel Fine

by ShirubiSweetie



Category: Full House (US), Fuller House (TV)
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Fuller house compliant, Gay Derek Boyd, Lesbian Lisa Leeper, That's a fun alliteration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24025180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShirubiSweetie/pseuds/ShirubiSweetie
Summary: “I don’t want to say goodbye to that house,” Michelle mumbled. “When I moved, it was because Jesse and Becky had moved and Joey got married and my family was dissolving. I don’t want the house to be gone too.”“Shelly, you know if you don’t you’ll regret it,” Aaron said, and Michelle hated when he was right. “I know it’s hard saying goodbye to the house you grew up in, but it’s only a house. You still have your family, that’s the important part.”“I can’t,” Michelle whispered. “We wanted to sell it before and I couldn’t let it go. It’s the only home I’ve ever known.”“Shelly, home isn’t a place,” Aaron said, tilting her head up to look at him. “It’s the people who make it a home. Otherwise it’s just an empty house.”
Relationships: Denise Frazer/Teddy, Michelle Tanner/Aaron Bailey
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	But We Feel Fine

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes, Michelle in this is 29, almost 30, which is compliant with Fuller House ages, so her friends are probably all 30. Also, sorry if they seem a little out of character, the last time we saw most of these characters was when they were 8, which is very different from 30. This is probably during the first season of Fuller House before Stephanie meets Jimmy. Lisa is a lesbian and lives with her girlfriend somewhere in California, Denise I think is a radio DJ and Teddy is in IT, but he works from home so he can be home with the kids. Aaron is in PR, and obviously Derek and Michelle are in fashion.

Michelle leaned over her sketchbook, struck by inspiration while she was manning the shop for lunch. She thought maybe she’d talk to her seamstresses tomorrow, she needed to find a fabric for this. Winter was around the corner, and that meant spring attire would be coming right after and she had to get it made and stocked before then.

“Lunch wagon!”

Michelle looked up to see her best friend and business partner Derek striding in with a paper bag housing their lunches, a few salads from down the block.

“Finally, I’m starving,” she said, setting her sketchbook aside so she wouldn’t mess up her sketches.

“Sorry, long line,” Derek shrugged. He set the bag on the counter and unpacked their lunch, taking his stool and sitting at the check-out counter. It was a slower day, there was rain predicted so less people were walking the city and more were taking cabs. “What are we doing?”

“I had some ideas for spring,” Michelle said, taking her salad and letting him flip through her sketch book. Derek pursed his lips and grabbed her pencil bag, pulling out a mauvy-pink color and coloring in the dress she had drawn.

“Thoughts?”

“I think that’s a pretty innovative color for spring,” she said with a nod. “Those muted colors have been very in this fall, they’ll keep being in for a while.”

Their brand, Esboyd, was small, but their store had been bustling since they opened five years prior. Michelle and Derek went to school in New York for fashion design, and they just never left. They got an apartment together and eventually Aaron Bailey made a grand gesture to Michelle and moved from San Francisco to find her and started living with them. They’d been happily living that way for years now, the three of them.

“Don’t forget we have video night tonight,” Michelle said when Derek grabbed a yellow out of the bag and flipped to the pantsuit she had drawn the day prior. He had a much better eye for color than she did, but she did great with shape and form. They made a good team.

“Are Denise and Teddy back yet?” Derek asked.

“They got back a few days ago,” she nodded. Denise and Teddy had taken their two children to Disney Land for the first time last week, something that they had been planning to do since their daughter turned three, but then they found out they were expecting another and put the trip off.

“Isn’t Aaron working late?” he asked, raising a brow at her.

“He said he’d be home before then,” Michelle nodded. She heard her phone ringing in the back room and set her lunch aside to go grab it. “Hey, Dad.”

_“Hi, Honey, how are you?”_

“I’m good, Dad,” she said, taking her phone back out into the store. “How are you? How’s Teri?”

_“Oh we’re fine. But honey, I’m calling to see if you wanted to fly in for a few days. We’ve decided to sell the house.”_

“Dad, you can’t sell the house,” she said, her stomach dropping, and Derek’s head snapped up to look at her. “That’s our house.”

_“I know, but you girls are all gone. This house is too big for just me and it’s getting harder to do all the upkeep. Stephanie is flying in.”_

“I-I can’t dad, I’d need someone to watch the store and I don’t have anyone at short notice,” she shook her head, taking a deep breath. “I really wish I could.”

_“Okay. I understand, I know how busy you are. Teri and I will come visit once we’re settled.”_

“Tell everyone I love them and miss them,” Michelle sighed. She had to call her sisters, she hadn’t talked to DJ in a few days and Stephanie was harder to get ahold of.

_“I will. Love you, Princess.”_

“Love you too, Dad,” Michelle said before she hung up her phone and set it on the counter. “They’re selling the house.”

“I heard,” Derek nodded. “Go, you should. I can take care of the store, I did when Tommy died.”

“Aaron can’t take more time off so soon,” Michelle shook her head. “Besides, what would I do? Go out for a day to see everyone and say goodbye to the house and fly back? That’s too much money.”

“How is everyone?”

“Dad said he and Teri are fine, I need to call DJ and Steph,” Michelle nodded. “I think Nicky and Alex are planning to come out her soon though, I have to call them too.”

“Those boys are so cute,” Derek said, setting the sketchbook aside. “Boy I wish one of them were gay.”

“Don’t hit on my cousins, it’s weird,” Michelle said, furrowing her brows. “Besides, you see cute boys, I see the kids who destroyed my science project and sprayed me with the hose.”

“You love them,” Derek rolled his eyes.

“Of course I do, they’re like little brothers to me, doesn’t mean they don’t annoy the hell out of me,” Michelle laughed. “What happened to that date you had last night?”

“Oh, he had no personality,” Derek said, waving it off. “I swear, I go for those big, strong, handsome guys and they can’t tell their right from their left.”

“But he stayed over,” Michelle said, raising a brow at him.

“Well he’s dumb, but I can’t pass up that body,” Derek said, shaking his head. “I’ll take a good bang over nothing.”

“Derek!” Michelle laughed, throwing a piece of lettuce at him as he laughed.

* * *

_“Taryn, put that down!”_

_“Give it back to Eli, please.”_

Michelle rolled her eyes as her two oldest friends talked to their children off screen. Derek smiled, waving as Eli’s little head popped into view. He was sitting on one side of the kitchen island while Michelle stood on the other side, chopping up some vegetables for a stir fry for dinner.

 _“Where’s tall, angry, and handsome?”_ Lisa asked, ignoring the couple moving their son.

“Aaron had to work late, he should be home any minute,” Michelle said. “How’s Hannah?”

_“She’s good, she’s painting the living room right now.”_

“Do you love the new house?” Derek asked, giving her a big smile. The three of them had talked about getting a house, but they hadn’t fully decided.

_“It’s awesome. Hannah has space for her art studio and the yard is big enough for the dogs. Plus, now I can get a cat.”_

_“Taryn’s been bugging us for a cat.”_

“How’s my goddaughter?” Michelle asked, and after a moment Taryn’s curly haired head popped into frame, waving.

_“Hi Aunt Michelle!”_

“Hey you, how was Disney?”

_“Aunt Michelle, I got to meet Tiana!”_

“That’s pretty cool,” Michelle said with a nod, remembering the awe of meeting Snow White when she was little.

 _“I’m going to get these two into bed, be right back.”_ Teddy scooped his daughter up and gave Denise a kiss on the cheek before leaving the frame.

_“Disney was fun for a day but then Taryn was too hot and the big characters scare Eli and Teddy ate something that made him sick. We spent a lot of time in the room.”_

“Disney isn’t fun when they’re that little,” Michelle shook her head. She remembered Nicky and Alex being really little, and someone mostly having to stay with them at the hotel and miss out on fun.

 _“Maybe try again in like 5 years,”_ Lisa suggested, pulling her hair out of the bun on top of her head.

“So, so sorry I’m late.”

Michelle turned to the front door and saw Aaron hurrying in, while loosening his tie. He shut the door and strode over to her, giving her a soft kiss before turning to the laptop where their friends were giggling.

“Hey ladies,” he said, waving. “Where’s Teddy?”

_“He’s putting the monsters to bed, he’ll be right back.”_

_“You’re late, Bailey,”_ Lisa said, crossing her arms and raising a brow.

“Well sorry, Princess, we had an issue yesterday and I had to draft a few press releases and field some calls,” Aaron said with an eye roll. “Some of us have grown-up jobs.”

_“Well since I’m the one who now owns a house, I’d say working as a fitness instructor has paid off.”_

“Stop it, you two,” Michelle said, putting a hand on Aaron’s chest. “Lisa works very hard and doesn’t have the amount of student debt we do.”

 _“I swear I’ll be paying off my communications degree until I die.”_ Denise scoffed, scooting over as Teddy came back into frame.

“Hey, Ted,” Aaron said, waving at him.

_“Alright, we’re all here. So what’s the plan for tonight?”_

“I vote Yahtzee,” Derek said, scowling when everyone else groaned.

 _“We played Yahtzee last week.”_ Lisa said.

 _“And Aaron is a big sore loser.”_ Denise added, ignoring Aaron’s glare.

“I am not,” Aaron said, and everyone else laughed. “I just don’t like losing.”

“Babe, you’re a sore loser,” Michelle said, patting him on the arm as she moved her cutting board and tossed the vegetables in the pan. “I vote headbands.”

* * *

“Hey, Shel?” Aaron asked from the bathroom. Michelle looked over from their bed, watching him as he stood there in his underwear, brushing his teeth. “I was thinking, we’re closed for Labor day, why don’t we take a long weekend and fly home?”

“I can’t,” Michelle shook her head. “I actually just talked to my dad today, he wanted me to come home but I can’t find someone to watch the store on short notice.”

“What did your dad want you to come home for?” Aaron asked, spitting into the sink and rinsing his tooth brush.

“He and Teri are selling the house,” she sighed, changing the channel on the television. “He wanted to know if I’d come home and say goodbye to it. I guess everyone’s flying in.”

“Shelly, you should go,” Aaron said, turning off the bathroom light and joining her in bed. “We can hire someone for the store, all three of us should go.”

“No, we just left for Tommy’s funeral,” Michelle shook her head. “I can’t just leave my work.”

“I bet your cousin Melina would watch the store,” Aaron said, and Michelle knew he was right. Melina had moved to the US for college and the two reconnected in the city and had lunch once a month or so. Melina was smart and helpful, and she worked from home, she could work from the store if need be. “What is it really, Shel? Why don’t you want to go home?”

Michelle sighed, leaning into Aaron’s side as he wrapped an arm around her.

“I don’t want to say goodbye to that house,” Michelle mumbled. “When I moved, it was because Jesse and Becky had moved and Joey got married and my family was dissolving. I don’t want the house to be gone too.”

“Shelly, you know if you don’t you’ll regret it,” Aaron said, and Michelle hated when he was right. “I know it’s hard saying goodbye to the house you grew up in, but it’s only a house. You still have your family, that’s the important part.”

“I can’t,” Michelle whispered. “We wanted to sell it before and I couldn’t let it go. It’s the only home I’ve ever known.”

“Shelly, home isn’t a place,” Aaron said, tilting her head up to look at him. “It’s the people who make it a home. Otherwise it’s just an empty house.”

“I hate when you’re smart,” Michelle sighed, resting her head on his chest. “I still can’t. Labor day weekend is too late, that house will be gone by then.”

“Shelly, before the funeral we hadn’t been home since the holidays,” Aaron said, running a hand down her back. “What’s going on with you?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Michelle snapped, rolling away from him and facing back towards the bathroom.

“Shel?”

“Just leave me alone, alright?” She asked, and Aaron didn’t argue, turning off his bedside lamp and letting the television play.

* * *

“Special delivery.”

Michelle and Derek looked up from where they were pouring over a fashion magazine, looking at trends for the winter and thinking if there were things in their collection that need to be changed before the winter clothes hit the racks.

Aaron strode in and set down a paper bag, pulling out three meals and distributing them.

“What are you doing here?” Michelle asked as Derek opened a veggie burger and thanked Aaron by leaning over the counter and kissing his cheek.

“I thought I’d take my lunch hour and pick up some lunch for us,” he said.

“If you ever swap teams, let me know,” Derek said, taking his lunch to the back room while Aaron chuckled at him.

“I wanted to see if you were okay,” Aaron said, coming around the counter and sitting on the stool Derek had abandoned. “You didn’t say anything this morning.”

“I’m sorry I snapped at you last night,” she mumbled, moving the magazine off of the counter.

“Shelly, I’m going to go home for Labor Day weekend,” Aaron said, opening his lunch. “My mom has been bugging me to come home, and I was hoping you’d come with me.”

Michelle pursed her lips, pushing the container of food back a bit. She wasn’t entirely hungry.

“Aaron, what did it feel like when your parents got divorced?” Michelle asked, looking up at her boyfriend. He furrowed his brows, setting his fork down.

“I mean, it was pretty devastating,” Aaron admitted. “I was 13, you remember. Not only was I going through all the regular puberty stuff, but on top of that I was getting shuffled between my mom’s new house and my dad’s one bedroom apartment and they couldn’t stand each other. I started spending afternoons at friend’s houses because going back to only one of them sucked and it felt tense. Plus, the whole finding out my dad had been having an affair for like my whole life, that sucked a lot too. Why do you ask?”

“I think that’s what it feels like now, going home,” Michelle explained. “I know my family didn’t divorce and they all still love each other, but Joey moved to Vegas and Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky weren’t there anymore, they got their own house. Before I moved out, it was just Dad and Teri and I. Even Comet was gone by then, the house was so quiet and it just didn’t feel like it did before. And I-I can’t stand that feeling, it’s why I decided to go to college in New York, because I didn’t want to feel so empty anymore.” She said, her voice cracking.

“Oh, Michelle,” Aaron said, standing up so he could wrap his arms around her. “I understand now.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling back and wiping a few tears from her eye. “Go ahead and go for Labor Day, I won’t be mad. Spend some time with your mom.”

“Well, to be honest, I was hoping to take you out on a romantic dinner and a cruise around the bay,” Aaron said with a shrug. “But maybe I’ll just have to think of something twice as romantic for when I get back.”

* * *

“Well, this is a surprise,” DJ said when she answered the door, standing aside to let Aaron in. “No Michelle?”

“She couldn’t get away from work,” Aaron shook his head. “You know her, that store is her pride and joy.”

“Well welcome,” DJ said, motioning him into the living room. Her middle son, Max poked his head through the kitchen door, lighting up when he saw who it was.

“Uncle Aaron!” He shouted, running forward until Aaron could hoist him up.

“You’ve gotten so big,” Aaron said, and Max beamed at him.

“I’m not the shortest in my class anymore,” He said, and Aaron laughed before setting him down. “Can we play Clue?”

“Sure, in a little while, okay?” Aaron asked, setting the boy down. Max gave him a thumbs up before running for the stairs while DJ laughed. “That kid is something else.”

“He sure is,” DJ nodded. “So, not to sound rude, but what are you doing here?”

“I’m trying to find your dad, actually,” Aaron said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I went by Jesse and Becky’s to see where he moved to, and they gave me his new address but said to check here first.”

“Well, you tracked him down, he’s in the kitchen,” DJ said, motioning for him to follow her through the living room.

Danny was in the kitchen, feeding the baby at the table.

“Dad, Aaron’s here,” she said, going over to Tommy’s high chair.

“Hey, Aaron,” Danny said, getting up to shake his hand. “No Michelle?”

“No, I couldn’t convince her to come home with me this weekend,” Aaron shrugged a shoulder. “Her and Derek have been working on their spring stuff, you know how they are.”

“Tell her to send me something, I could use a new dress,” DJ said, lifting Tommy up in her arms and heading for the stairs as Aaron and Danny sat down at the table.

“So what brings you to town?” Danny asked. “Can I get you some coffee?”

“No, I’m okay,” Aaron shook his head. “My mom has been asking me to come visit and I had a long weekend off of work. So I thought I’d stop by and talk to you.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, everything is fine,” Aaron said, and Danny visibly relaxed. “Michelle is just having a hard time with you selling the house.”

“Well then I’m sure she’ll be glad to know I didn’t sell it, I’m giving it to DJ,” Danny explained. “She needs the help, you know? She’s got a lot on her plate with the boys.”

“I’ll make sure to tell her,” Aaron said. “She was pretty upset about it.”

“I know Michelle takes family things the hardest,” Danny sighed. “She left for the same reason I wanted to sell the house.”

“Really?”

“We spent so many years in this house bursting at the seams, but when everyone started moving out and moving on with their lives, it really started feeling empty here,” Danny nodded. “I tried to hold onto the house for grandkids and stuff, but Michelle moved out over ten years ago, and I couldn’t stand having such an empty house anymore.”

“I know it’s probably really hard,” Aaron nodded.

“That’s not why you came here to talk to me, is it?”

Aaron took a deep breath.

“How’d you know?”

“I’ve known since you came here looking for Michelle the summer she moved out,” Danny sighed. “I think it’s just a dad’s instinct. I’ve been waiting for a few years for you to come talk to me.”

“I do want to marry her, Danny,” Aaron said, and Danny smiled at him. “I know we’ve been together for years now, but it just never felt like the right time, and I haven’t always had good role models for marriage. I didn’t want to get married at all until I started getting serious with Michelle.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Danny said, putting a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “I know how much Michelle loves you, and I see you with DJ’s boys and the rest of the family, you fit right in. Have you talked to her about it?”

“Not yet,” Aaron shook his head. “I mean, we’ve talked about marriage and stuff, but never really a time. I-I did get a ring though.”

Danny smiled at him as the kitchen door burst open and DJ and Stephanie came running in, each hugging Aaron from the side, squishing him in the middle.

“Were you girls listening at the door?” Danny asked.

“Dad it’s my house now, I can listen to whatever I want,” DJ said.

“Yeah, and maybe if you spoke up we could have heard you from the stairwell,” Stephanie said, and Danny gave them a tight lipped smile. “So, how are you going to do it?”

“Oh, gosh, when Tommy asked me, it was so romantic,” DJ said. “He took me out to dinner and we went for a walk on the beach and we got to this area with a picnic blanket and rose petals and-“

DJ paused when she saw her dad raising an eyebrow at her.

“Well, the details aren’t important,” she said with an uncomfortable laugh.

“I wanted to ask her this weekend, I had a plan to take her to dinner and a cruise around the bay, but I couldn’t convince her to come with me,” Aaron shook his head. “Any ideas?”

“Let’s see the ring,” Stephanie said, and Aaron sighed as he reached into his pocket for the box, opening it to show the two girls watching over his shoulders.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” DJ said, putting a hand on her chest.

“Screw Michelle, marry me,” Stephanie said, and the others in the room furrowed their brows at her. “What? She’s getting engaged before me, I need something pretty to get me through this tough time.”

* * *

Aaron climbed out of the cab and headed into their apartment building, climbing into the elevator and heading up. The store had closed already, and that meant Michelle and Derek would be sitting down to dinner, if Derek didn’t have a date.

When Aaron walked in, Michelle was curled up on the couch with a bowl of cereal, already in her pajamas and under a blanket. So Derek had a date.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Aaron greeted, walking over to the couch and presenting her with the bouquet of flowers he had picked up on his way home.

“What are these for?” She asked, setting her bowl on the coffee table and getting up to get a vase.

“Because I’ve been gone for a few days and I missed you,” Aaron said, boxing her in against the counter as she filled a vase with water. “I actually have a few surprises for you.”

“Surprises?” Michelle asked, raising a brow at him as she moved out of his arms to put the flowers in a vase. “What kind of surprises?”

“Just a second,” Aaron said, opening her laptop on the counter and opening Skype. He turned it around a few moments later so she could see, and her face lit up when she saw all six screens for her family. DJ and Tommy, Stephanie with Max and Jackson, Danny, Jesse and Becky, Joey, and the twins at college.

“Tada,” Aaron said behind the laptop.

“Hey, everyone,” Michelle said, smiling at her family as Aaron came around the island. “What is this?”

“Well, I knew you missed your family, so I set this up with them before I left,” Aaron said, stuffing his hands in his jacket pocket.

“I love you,” Michelle said, standing up straight to kiss him properly before turning back to the computer.

 _“Aaron said you’ve been working on some stuff, do you have anything new to show us?”_ Becky asked, and Michelle smiled.

“Yeah, let me show you one of our new dresses, hold on,” Michelle said, hurrying from the kitchen and to their bedroom. Aaron quickly turned the laptop around so it faced the living room, turning the volume down so Michelle wouldn’t hear their squeals and excitement as he dug out some candles and dimmed the lights. He took two of the roses out of the vase and pulled the petals off, spreading them on the living room floor.

_“This is so romantic.”_

_“Sure, and I’m not bitter at all.”_

_“Steph, be happy for her.”_

_“Yeah, who needs marriage?”_

_“Hey!”_

“She’s coming back,” Aaron hissed, setting the last lit candle on the coffee table and standing in the middle of the rose petals in the living room, full body in view of the camera on the laptop.

Their bedroom door opened and Michelle stepped out, still barefoot but wearing a spaghetti strap top dress with a flowy skirt that fell to around her calves, a belt situated around her waist. She had twisted her hair up quickly in a clip so her bangs and a few wisps of hair fell around her face.

“Aaron what is this?” she asked as she stepped into view of the camera.

“Another surprise,” he said, pulling the ring box out of his pocket and getting down on one knee.

“Holy moley,” Michelle whispered to herself, putting a hand over her mouth.

“Michelle, you told me that going back to San Francisco didn’t feel like home anymore,” Aaron said. “And for a long time, I’ve felt the same way. But then you came back into my life, and over the last ten years, home has started to mean wherever you are. So I’m asking if you’ll be my home for the rest of our lives.”

“Aaron,” Michelle whispered, and Aaron reached up for one of her hands.

“Michelle Tanner, will you marry me?” he asked, and her face broke out in a smile.

“Yes,” she whispered, and Aaron surged up to his feet and took her into his arms, spinning her around their living room. “Yes.”

The laptop roared with cheers and congratulations.

“You went to ask them,” Michelle said, and Aaron nodded, turning them back towards her family. “Thank you all for being here.”

_“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Munchkin.”_

_“We love you guys.”_

_“Can I be the ring bearer?”_

_“I think we can clear out the backyard for a wedding.”_

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let’s slow down,” Michelle said with a laugh. “I just got engaged. We can talk about all those things later.”

_“Congratulations, Honey.”_

“Thanks everyone. I’ll call you later. Love you all,” Michelle said before hanging up the call and closing the laptop. “And you.”

Aaron smiled at her from where he stood in the living room. He walked over to her and took the ring out of the box, sliding it onto her finger.

“Shel, I love you,” Aaron said, playing with the belt on her waist. “And I’m so thrilled to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

“How about we get started on the loving part now?” Michelle asked, and Aaron wiggled his brows at her before he hoisted her up and threw her over his shoulder as she shrieked.


End file.
